Aran people

The Aran, who call themselves Aranvalar ("Plainsmen", in the Aran language) are an ethnic group native to the Eastern section of the Great Continent. The Aranvalar are mostly organized into a collection of loosely organized clans, which are typically engaged in some form of conflict with one another.

The Aranvalar inhabit the plains between the Sands of Itsori and the Belt of Fire, south of the Akuzorri Mountain Range. Most of the Aran clans are nomadic, but some live in permanent settlements along the River Yuu – such as Bataajhang – as well as on the coast of the Smoking Sea to the south. A few of the latter of these settlements have grown into large ports, where merchants from other lands visit to trade. This, and the influence of the Vachai Dominion in the past century, has considerably affected the traditional nomadic way of life of the Aranvalar.

A major notable feature of the Aranvalar are bloodmarks (akshamurqu), face tattoos which represent allegiance to a clan.